FAQ

What does the HypnoBirthing™ fee include?

Included with the full HypnoBirthing™ course are the Official UK HypnoBirthing book, the Official HypnoBirthing™ CD (both usually despatched to you as soon as your booking fee is received) and a folder of practical handouts for you and your partner to use at home. After you’ve completed the course, I am available for telephone or email support without charge. I want to support you in every way possible to have an enjoyable birth.

What do I need to wear or bring to HypnoBirthing™ classes?

There is nothing in particular that you need to bring or wear to your class; just wear comfortable clothes so that you can relax. We will not be doing any strenuous exercises or striking any poses. I will give you all the required course materials on the day so please just turn up and enjoy your class.

Where is the Group HypnoBirthing™ Course held?

The Group Course is held in my home in South Croydon. I have found that running the course in my home makes for a welcoming and relaxed environment. It means that you have access to plenty of free parking, each couple gets their own sofa and most importantly the kettle is in working order!

Is this the full HypnoBirthing™ course?

Yes, as a HypnoBirthing™ Teacher I offer the full course which includes:

Understanding how fear causes birth to be painful

Releasing that fear and replacing it with a
positive emotion

Hypnosis – by me, by yourself and by your partner

Relaxation ultra-deepening techniques.

Breathing techniques that actually help during the
birth – so not any of that awful puffing and panting you see on TV!

Light Touch Massage – learned by the birth companion and is akin to using a TENS machine!

Visualisation techniques

How to sharply reduce your risk of needing an episiotomy during birth with a stunningly simple massage technique.

How to write a birth plan so that you can have the birth of your choice.

How to bring about your own easy start of labour with simple, natural techniques, if you go beyond your “estimated due date”.

Positions to use during childbirth

Understanding the birth process

Post natal bonding

Ultimately, we’re aiming for you to know how to:

relax and stay calm and in control, regardless of what’s happening around you;

reduce the need for any medication at all;

be confident and informed when dealing with medical staff – when to question, what to ask…and when it’s time to let them take charge.

Is it OK to attend a HypnoBirthing™ course in addition to an NCT or NHS ante-natal class?

Yes, quite a few of the parents I work with attend several types of class. This can help you to really understand the type of birth you want and to understand how you can achieve it. It is helpful for me to know if you are attending other classes.

When should I start HypnoBirthing™ classes?

Somewhere between 20-34 weeks is ideal, as the success of the course is strongly linked to how much practice you do. However, I do have some mums who started earlier so that they could practice the techniques and for them to become second nature. On the other hand, provided you can finish the course before you give birth, it’s still going to help and one mum I know of gave birth half way through the course and it still helped.

Will I be ‘out of it’ if I use HypnoBirthing™?

No, absolutely not. With HypnoBirthing™, in fact virtually all hypnosis, you are aware of what is going on around you but you can just ‘tune out’ the distractions.

Is HypnoBirthing™ just for home-births?

HypnoBirthing™ techniques work very effectively with home births, water births, hospital births, and in birthing centres. It’s your choice what kind of birth to have and HypnoBirthing™ helps them all.

May my partner attend?

Yes, birthing partners are a very important part of HypnoBirthing™ success. If your partner cannot attend all the classes or attend the birth, you are very welcome to bring someone else to be your birthing companion. Whoever you choose, and I would strongly recommend it is the other parent if at all possible (it helps build a strong relationship with the child), they must attend all of the classes and the birth.

Instead of your partner being a helpless onlooker, they become a key part of the birthing process, helping you to stay calm and focussed on the techniques you’ve been taught. As a result, the partners feel proud to have been able to help, and to be an active part of the birth.

In my experience, it is not unusual for dads to be initially sceptical of HypnoBirthing™ but, to a man, all the dads I’ve worked with have been convinced that HypnoBirthing™ works, have been grateful for being given a role in the process and enjoyed their part in the birth. Take a look at the testimonial page for a Dad’s view of HypnoBirthing™.

Can I bring older children to a Baby Calming course or workshop?

My aim is for the course to have a calm and peaceful environment in which you can concentrate on and explore the topics that we discuss. Whilst I love children and I’m sure that your older child is adorable, I feel that you won’t get the full benefit of the course if you are distracted by parenting your fully mobile child. Hopefully, you’ll also enjoy yourself a lot more too without the worry of caring for an older child.

I really do not like the idea of baby training methods that involve routines and lots of crying; is your Baby Calming course for me?

I will never teach you to let your baby “cry it out” or control their crying in any way. My ethos is completely different to many other ‘baby experts’; it does not set routines, preferring to raise your confidence and helping you to trust your own instincts and be your own guru!

How do I know Baby Calming will work?

The methods that I teach derive from the original BabyCalm™ classes that are backed up by scientific research and have been used successfully on thousands of babies to date.

Where are group courses held?

I run this course from my home in South Croydon and limit it to 6 mums and their babies. I have tried to run the class from commercial premises and felt that it didn’t quite work because we were often interrupted and wherever I have taught from there seems to be a draught! My home is really welcoming and warm. You and your baby can get comfortable on a sofa or on the carpet on some cushions. You can park your pram in the hall or park your car for free outside the front door. The kettle is guaranteed to be in working order and there are always some sweet nibbles available!

Alternatively if you are a ‘private group’ I am happy for one of you to host.

Do you offer refunds if I miss a class?

If you have a booked a private course, assuming you have given reasonable notice, the class can be rescheduled at no extra charge.

If you are booked on to a group course, a refund will not be possible since I am unable to offer your missed class to anyone else. In this case you may either book a private class, for an additional fee, to cover the missed material or attend the session you have missed on a subsequent group course free of charge; this is subject to availability.

*Contact*

If you want to discuss class availability or need more information, you can contact me by: